


Of tides and moons

by Follow (StrawberryPeach)



Series: Marshmallows and jellyfish [2]
Category: iKON (Korea Band)
Genre: Again, Fluff, M/M, Soft Boys, self indulgent word vomit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-02-09 13:04:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18638689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrawberryPeach/pseuds/Follow
Summary: How do marshmallows and jellyfish fit together, you ask? Throw them into the ocean, just under the moon.Trust me, you'll see.





	Of tides and moons

**Author's Note:**

> A sort of sequel to Jellyfish.
> 
> Where did this come from? We should all know by now.  
> Why do these two keep doing this to me? We'll never know.  
> Will I ever write something other than mindless fluff for them? We'll see about that.
> 
> For now, here's some more junbin. It's almost plotless, again. It's just... This. Them, being soft and cute because I am terribly weak for them. I'm sorry (but then again I'm kind of not?).
> 
> Same old:  
> \- Not beta'd  
> \- English is not my first language

It’s 10pm and Junhoe sighs again, peeking at his phone and putting it back on the table, face down. As if that’d stop him from checking the time again in 30 seconds or so. His leg has been jumping like a spring under the table for a whole half hour now, and from time to time it bumps at the underside and shakes the whole thing. His fingers keep drumming over the tablecloth, quick, then slow, then quick again, the pointer, all together, in succession, following a melody. He peeks at the phone again, places it down. Fingers drum again, a bump under the table and Jinhwan reaches for his tall glass before it tumbles down.

 

They all sigh now.

 

“June,” the older of them starts, smiling charmingly and speaking in a soft voice “Can you calm the fuck down? I’m one kick away from emptying my drink on your head”

 

Junhoe on his part huffs and groans, throwing his head back dramatically.

 

“Don’t worry” Chanwoo starts, in a slightly better mood as he chose to keep his glass in his hands and seat a bit further from the table “And stop with the drinks, you’re gonna get drunk before he arrives and then what of your plan? You’re overreacting.”

 

“Oh, am I?” Junhoe snaps his head to the side, eyes big and wild and Chanwoo would find it funny if it weren’t slightly concerning “Don’t you get it, dude? This could be serious! Or it could be a… Like a sign, you know, for me not to… Not to ask him yet?” his face scrunches in sudden worry.

 

“You know what? You are right but also I told you” Jinhwan picks his glass, swirling the colorful liquid inside with parsimony “This is all a mystic sign, it was trouble from the beginning”

 

Junhoe stares for a moment, face stuck between confusion and annoyance “What?”

 

“This whole thing” the glass goes round, as if gesturing to them all “It was set to fail from the start. Don’t do it, abort the mission, throw the key to the ocean”

 

“What the hell are you talking about?”

 

“You should dump that cheating ass” he declares, sipping at his drink as one leg goes over the other.

 

“Ok, _what_?” his face is now leaning from annoyance to irritation, albeit the confusion never truly left. It rarely does.

 

“I mean come on, the way you two met, these summer romances are never fated to last, June”

 

“Ugh, this is not funny, Hyung!” he huffs, picking up his phone again and checking the time without really looking. No messages either. His brow furrows in worry.

 

“Of course it’s not. I told you it was bound to happen, they always go back to their roots. I saw it in him from day one, the way they looked at each other-”

 

“Enough, Hyung! You are not helping! Today’s not the day for this, ok?”

 

A few other patrons look their way, and Junhoe colors lightly, part in embarrassment and part in slight agitation. He clicks his tongue and takes a sip of his whiskey, almost dropping the glass as he places it too near the edge of their table.

 

“Drop the whiskey, hyung, you can’t be drunk if you want to actually ask him” chanwoo quips quietly, but he’s busy worrying, barking a curt _I’m not drunk_ back.

 

His fingers start drumming again and he can feel Jinhwan’s glare from across, even as he looks around the bar in hopes to see the familiar black mop of hair. But there’s nothing still.

 

Junhoe picks the phone again, opens the chats, taps on _My fierce marshmallow ❤_ and sees his last messages are still left on read. All six of them. His stomach twists a little. It’s been more than half an hour since that. Why isn’t he answering? What’s wrong? Should he call? But what if he’s busy? But then what if there’s something wrong-?

 

“Seriously, June, calm down. It’ll be fine” Chanwoo tried to placate him again, now looking at his own phone.

 

By his side, Jinhwan sighs “I’d say, June, as a friend-”

 

“Oh God, would you please drop it?”

 

“No, June, I’m saying this for your own good, let this go. Let him go, he’s found someone else. A very slimy, blobby someone-”

 

“Shut up, Nani!” he all but whines, again gaining the attention of other patrons in the bar. He plants his face in his hands, groaning.

 

But his friend is not done “It was all clear from the moment you met, I don’t know how you didn’t notice-”

 

He straightens and picks a coaster from the table, rising it in threat “I swear I’m gonna-”

 

“Oh, there!” Chanwoo points behind him.

 

He turns so quickly he hears his neck crack, but it doesn’t matter at all when he finally sees that mop of hair, _his_ mop of hair.

 

“Ah, saved this time” he hears Jinhwan behind him.

 

But he’s already standing up and turning to the lithe figure approaching, eyes zeroing in the sleepy eyes as he steps forward to meet him halfway. Without waiting for a word, he lunges forward and wraps the thin, solid figure in his arms, pressing the body tight to his own and burying his nose in the soft, dark hair that still smells a bit of the herbal shampoo.

 

“Hanbin, you’re ok” he says against the hair “Oh thank God you’re ok”

 

He feels the body squiggle a little, and the hot puffs of a laugh against his neck.

 

“What are you talking about?” he’s asked, but a pair of arms go around him and fit snuggly all the way to his back.

 

“I don’t want you having anything to do with those assholes ever again” Junhoe goes on, squeezing harder for a moment, letting go at the chocked yelp in response. He pulls his head back, just to look at those dark, soft eyes that are staring at him in calm amusement “And change my name in your phone, I don’t want to be associated with them either”

 

Hanbin laughs at him, but gently “You big dork” he leans in closer, probably pushing a little on his tip toes (and that alone makes Junhoe’s insides turn into goo) and plants a soft, tiny kiss on his nose “You’ve been drinking”

 

“What? No” he shakes his head, but Hanbin’s face, impassive, shows nothing but endearment and he really can’t against that “Ok, yeah, a little bit. But I was nervous! You weren’t answering, and you read my messages! How could you ghost me like that, you knew I was worried-!”

 

The soft, warm lips that press ever so gently against his own effectively shut him up, rendering him speechless for a moment. Moment in which Hanbin drops another little kiss on his nose before speaking “You sure are an idiot, I told you I was fine. Did you check your messages at all?”

 

“Wh- I did! Every ten seconds now! Ask the guys, I-”

 

“He did, he was insufferable” says Jinhwan loudly from behind them.

 

Hanbin looks over Junhoe’s shoulder at that, smiling and waving shortly “Hi”

 

The other two answer in kind, and Junhoe just waits as they all exchange pleasantries, ignoring his very ruffled presence. Hanbin has his chin on his shoulder now, listening as Chanwoo comments avidly on the game he had just started using in his phone, when Junhoe spots a shot of faded purple in the dimmed lights of the bar.

 

In a moment only, there’s a smug smile shining his way.

 

“A-yo, big idiot” Bobby raises a hand in greeting, and Junhoe gimmaces.

 

“Hi to yourself asshole”

 

“Oh, woah, what’s with the attitude?” the other laughs regardless, walking past them and dropping a soft pat on Hanbin’s shoulder on his way, who, on his part, sends a quick, soft slap to the back of his purple head “Ah! What’s with you now?”

 

“You _were_ an asshole” Hanbin confirms, albeit smiling “Why didn’t you message June as I asked you to?”

 

Bobby drops ungracefully beside Chanwoo “Because he was being a pain in the ass!”

 

“I was _worried_!” Junhoe protests, turning around.

 

But just as he does, the arms around him spins him around again, and he’s facing the soft, endearing, stupidly cute and brain glitch inducing muppety smile he was so weak for.

 

“Don’t start a fight now” he’s told, in all the soft, gentle tones that make him go pliant and a little bit dumb.

 

“Geez” he hears Bobby behind, still slightly amused “Sorry, didn’t think you’d get so worked up, dude”

 

“He’s been drinking” Jinhwan explains.

 

“And googling” Chanwoo adds.

 

The ‘ _Aah_ ’ Booby croaks in infused with some laughter, and he can see Hanbin in front of him pulling a rueful smile and shaking his head.

 

“What?” he tries to defend himself “I just wanted to know! And for your information, some jellyfishes can be fucking dangerous. If you get a reaction and don’t treat it in time you can _die_ ! How is that funny, huh? You could _die_!”

 

“Jellyfishes around here are not the lethal ones, and it wasn’t an allergic reaction. It was just a bit of heatstroke along with an ill timed rash”

 

“You had a heatstroke?” he presses a hand against Hanbin’s forehead almost in reflex, knowing it’s kinda pointless. But Hanbin smiles again at him, pressing forward, not unlike a cat claiming his human.

 

“Yeah,” he adjusts his arms around Junhoe, pushing slightly until he’s resting against the back of the booth seats behind them “You know, it’s been a while since I’ve been for so long under the sun, and the last week was kind of rough. That and I kind of forgot to eat today ‘cuz I might have overslept again…”

 

“Hanbin” Junhoe chides in his best chiding voice, which is, of course, melted all over and dripping affection from every pore. He just can’t with his soft Bin nuzzling his hand and snuggling him like that “You didn’t go to sleep when I told you last night, did you?”

 

“Mh” he finally drops his head on Junhoe’s shoulder “Maybe not?”

 

“And you call _me_ a dork, seriously”  

 

“‘Cuz you _are_ a dork” Hanbin says, “My big dork” he lifts his head and stares straight into Junhoe’s eyes, “My big, drunk dork” he laughs, slow and stupid and maybe a little bit fuzzy still.

 

“I’m not drunk” he denies, but can’t help to laugh along “And you’re also a dork anyway”

 

Hanbin laughs softly and accepting, then furrows his pretty eyebrows slightly “But you smell like… Alcohol”

 

“I do not!”

 

“You do” he leans in, and Junhoe sees in all detail as his sleepy eyes slowly fall shut, himself following along, and then meets the warm lips halfway. He holds tight to Hanbin’s waist, pushing harder into the kiss, letting the other roll their lips together and lick his way into his mouth.

 

Then he feels Hanbin inch back, just a breath away, and mumble “And you taste like alcohol too” against his lips.

 

“Doesn’t mean I’m drunk, though” he grumbles in reply, diving back into the pliable lips without a second thought. But just as he feels Hanbin’s hand crawl up and cradle his face, and as he runs his own up the slender back, something light and small hits the side of his head.

 

“Go get a room if you gonna suck face” is Jinhwan’s voice protesting “Or at least don’t go getting rated right beside me”

 

He is just about to retort when Hanbin laughs against his neck, patting his face with something. He focuses back to the hand hovering near and sees the coaster that was probably thrown at him.

 

“I don’t say anything when you get gross with _your_ girlfriend” he protests half heartedly as he drops the coaster back to the table, too busy smiling down at the soft gooey grin on Hanbin's face “Are you ok, though?” he asks the man in his arms “You’re being too mushy”

 

“What do you mean? I’m always… Mushy?” the other says softly, leaning heavier against him.

 

Taking a moment to brush his fingers over Hanbin’s bunching cheeks, then leaning down to press a kiss on his forehead, he turns to the table where the rest of the guys are now effectively ignoring them; Jinhwan on his own phone while Chanwoo is showing Bobby something in his, probably his new game.

 

“Hey,” he calls to Bobby “Did they drug him or something?”

 

He gets a pinch to his side and some weak complains from his boyfriend, but Bobby smiles and rolls his eyes before dropping his attention back to Chanwoo’s game. Before he can repeat his question (because it was an actual serious question, mind you), their two remaining friends come bearing glasses and a couple beer bottles.

 

“Hello!” Donghyuk comes chanting with a happy smile that draws his eyes almost close “Make room for the drink bearers”

 

Right behind him, Yunhyeong comes shimmying his butt to some obscure melody in his head, making his silly “ _woohoo_ ”-ing noises as he wiggles the beers.

 

As he busies himself greeting them both (and softly pushing Yunhyeong’s still wiggling but away from his line of sight), he feels Hanbing melting against him, burrowing solidly and half hiding his face against his neck. He holds him tight as he watches the rest squirm closer into the booth seats and start a very messy and yet very classic banter between all.

 

“You sure they didn’t give you anything?” he asks under their friends’ noise.

 

He feels more than he hears Hanbin’s laughter, hot puffs of air against his skin “No” he half says half whines.

 

“Are you gonna seat?” Donghyuk asks them “We brought you water, Binnie hyung” he says. He sounds a bit softer, the way he does when he’s talking to a spooked child, or to a frustrated elderly person, or even someone he just helped nail a technique they were failing. It was his caring-swim-instructor voice “Come seat?” he adds, and Junhoe feels Hanbin sigh in his arms.

 

“Are you not feeling ok, Bin?” he asks in a whisper “Are you still dizzy or something?”

 

“I’m ok” he hears.

 

He looks back to the table, and sees now not only Donghyuk but also Yunhyeong looking expectantly at them. He looks down to his boyfriend  “I retain my doubts. Come on, tell me the truth, are you not feeling well?”

 

“I _am_ ” he says with a slight tone of exasperation to his words “Stop asking”

 

“Something wrong?” Bobby asks then, stretching his neck to try and get a look at Hanbin.

 

“Oh come on, Bin, Bobby is asking now” he says, noting all the boys now looking in curiosity.

 

Probably taking note of the expectant silence around them, Hanbin huffs loudly and peels his head from Junhoe’s shoulder “Can you all stop fretting? I just wanna cuddle, ok?”

 

“Alright, alright” he tries to placate the (evidently not fully ok) man, pressing him tighter against him and rubbing hard at his back. Junhoe might be a bit dense and a bit of an idiot sometimes, but he is not blind and he is an attentive boyfriend and he _will_ fight you on that, pride aside. He can see how his boyfriend’s eyes are especially droopy and slow and how he slumps more than usual against Junhoe’s taller form. He can feel very clearly the lack of strength in his moves and the way he pushes for comfort in his arms, not complaining once no matter how hard he hugs (which usually earns him a hand to his jaw or a very sharp poke to his ribs). But, if Hanbin still has the will power and spark to act playfully childish and cutely whiny, then it is not so bad.

 

With all this on mind, Junhoe indulges his by now grumpy boyfriend (and himself, yes, shut up) with some extra bone crushing cuddles and some good, loud and sticky smooches to his progressively frowny face. By the time the other is pushing him away and whining an octave higher, Junhoe finally relents.

 

“But you wanted cuddles” he mumbles against the soft dark hair, stupid grin wide on his face.

 

“Oh shut up, you dork” he’s told, but can hear that muppety, beautiful smile in the words “And wipe that stupid grin off your face, you cheap knock off joker”

 

“At least you’re still in spirits of being your snarky little self, alright”

 

“I’m not snarky, you are being mean”

 

He pulls back slightly to take a good look at Hanbin’s face “Am not! How am I being mean? I am cuddling the hell out of you!”  

“But you’re being harsh and you know…” the fight leaves his sails just as quickly as it came, and he deflates a little in the face of Junhoe’s resurging grin.

 

“What?” he asks, subduing his triumphant glow “That you’re not feeling well?” Hanbin sighs at that, almost rolling his eyes, if the way his eyelids threaten to blink in a very slow, annoyed gesture is any indication “Come on, Bin. If you’re not feeling ok just tell me” he pulls him back closer “Do you want to go back home?”

 

“No” the other says, almost petulantly “I came because I wanted to come, if not I would have gone home from starters-”

 

“ _Guys_ ” Jinhwan's voice sounds saccharin sweet as he intones the word with a little lilt of melody, then drops comically flat “Are you gonna stop the show any time soon? Don’t let us hold you back if you want to occupy your selves somewhere else”

 

Hanbin all but throws his head back and groans in annoyance, just as Yunhyeong chastises their older friend softly “Don’t be like that, Binnie was not feeling good” which pulls a straight curse from his boyfriend.

 

“Fucks sake, guys, I am _good_ ”

 

“Then come seat” Donghyuk offers with a smile, patting the place beside him.

 

And you know you can’t say no to Donghyuk’s smile. That’s just how the world works. So they finally join their friends at the booth. But Hanbin does keep himself plastered to Junhoe’s side, and, as much as it’s a very cute gesture and Junhoe himself can’t help indulging into the cuddly contact, the man also keeps rather quiet, nursing his water and resting his head on Junhoe’s shoulder for most of the time. He’s clearly not in the mood for their usual rowdy banter and playful chat. Knowing him, he just wanted to be with them, just bask in their company as much as he could before the music and the rest of the patrons started growing louder and the bar rolled up to its night time atmosphere.

 

Around half an hour before this all properly begins, Junhoe feels the currents of noise clashing more and how the man at his side sinks further against him. He can almost feel the discomfort coming in waves from Hanbin, and he decides it’s time to maybe go.

 

“You want to go?” he asks softly, just loud enough for Hanbin to hear, as the rest of the voices have grown just a tad too loud.

 

From his shoulder, Hanbin looks up and sighs “I’m tired”

 

“I know” he can’t help a smile at the other’s barely contained sulky face “Wanna go home? The bar’s gonna amp up any moment now, the waves of party goers are starting to arrive”

 

Hanbin groans and mutters something grumpily, but finally pushes up from Junhoe and looks at the time on his phone “Alright,” he concedes, then turns to him “You coming with me? You don’t have to-”

 

“Shut up, you know I’m coming” Junhoe interrupts, already moving to stand up.

 

He sees Hanbin smiling from the corner of his eye, but says nothing of it.

 

The rest of the guys pretty much knew they were gonna bail early, so they just wave them goodnight and call some _get well soon_ to the sluggish man now half clinging to Junhoe’s arm.

 

The night is surprisingly cold outside, in contrast to the pleasant day that just went by. He hugs Hanbin to his side as they hurry to the street, searching for a cab to flag. The city is right in the middle of the switch between the late returns home and the early night goers. The cars go by in plenty, just as the cabs, to their luck.

 

In few minutes, Junhoe is helping a sleepy boyfriend into the backseat of a warm car, then huddling close to him as they are driven to his apartment. There’s not even a question to that, it’s for some reason where they usually orbit to. He knows it’s because it’s bigger, and he lives alone and it’s closer to both their workplaces and by now there’s so much of Hanbin in there it’s already painted in both their colors… And, well, that’s kind of why… _But maybe not tonight_ , he thinks, smiling in amused resignation as he pats his pocket, eyes watching the peaceful slumber of his boyfriend.

 

Right around the middle of the drive he feels Hanbin nudge him softly, and then gets his heavy head on his shoulder. Again. Unable to help his worry, he runs a hand over the other’s cheek, keeping a careful eye on his features as he brushes dark hair from closed eyes.

 

To his surprise, as he assumed Hanbin was fast asleep, his boyfriend smiles a tiny grin, soft and affectionate and contagiously warm, just as his eyes blink open to regard him with the same fondness he usually reserves to their times of unwitnessed softness. It’s that very look that gets him gooey inside, the one that plants a stupid smile on his face like an unstoppable reflex, feeling the sparkles and gentle waves of affection slosh inside him just like the way they shine in Hanbin’s eyes.

 

“I’m ok, really” the man says, his voice firm but gentle, dripping this odd mixture of exhaustion and confidence only he can whip up with such accuracy “I’m just tired”

 

Junhoe just nods, mind wiped clean of anything but this man, the way his eyes burn entire rivers inside him, the way his mouth pulls him close like the ocean running all over the sand chasing the undeniable magnetism of an imposing moon. Just like that, and he’s falling close, clasping their lips together and sealing their mouths close to pass him the fervent heat of his own inner ocean, the one that’s wanting to spill in chase of the pliant man in his arms.

 

But just as he starts feeling the smile growing big and bold against his own lips, he also feels the car slowing down. And there’s that.

 

It’s back at Junhoe’s apartment that Hanbin finally sheds his endurance and all but crawls weakly his way to and from, washing up and shrugging his clothes in exchange of the ones Junhoe keeps for him to sleep on. The big, worn tshirt, the equally worn joggers and a big old hoodie he knows Hanbin loves to swim in. And looking his softest yet, he folds back into Junhoe’s arms, as if it were the only place he could belong to. And of course Junhoe gathers him, holds him close but gentle and completely, because he could also only belong in here; wrapped up in the deep and soft yet powerful man that pulls him along with him just as much as follows him in all his flats and storms.

 

Tonight he forgets of big questions and secret prospects of things beyond their now, still hidden in his pocket. He lets himself get carried away, this time he follows to wherever Hanbin’s bright pull guides Junhoe’s malleable tide. Be it the restful steadiness of a flat ocean or the rowdy waters of a sea under a typhon, he’ll hold to him and drown as deep as he goes. He’s always been a weak raft in the other’s powerful current, completely at the mercy of his absolute and enrapturing depths. And no matter how many times he’s sunk and drown, there’s no other place he’d lose himself into but in this pair of dark and deep eyes, in this very tired but strong arms, in the wiry and solid and so very warm body, the sharp but loving heart that now presses against his own; peacefully beating away along his own burning pulse as they both melt into the mattress and pillows, under only the light of the pale moon.

 

It has been a while since he had learnt all the curves and dips of these lips, and just a different while, perhaps, since he has mapped all the hard planes and solid curves packed under the warm, inviting skin. He has done so many times by now, with his own greedy hands, his own hungry lips. And it still amazes him how perfectly they fit in each others’ every nook and cranny, how the lithe body would melt and mold against him seamlessly, roll along with him, just like the sea under the moon.

 

But then, was _he_ the moon? While he is inclined to think of Hanbin as his ocean, his powerful, unstoppable, deep and mysterious, yet charmingly peaceful ocean, he can also swear on his name he is his very own, personal moon, pulling him up and high and every second closer, madly magnetic and beautifully ethereal.

 

So maybe they could be each their own ocean, and at the same time, each others’ moons.

 

\--

 

Come following morning, the moon is back asleep and the warm sun is now radiating through the windows, and from Hanbin’s smile and glistening eyes, sounding bright and warm in the many times he’s repeated _I love you_ against his lips, as many times as Junhoe himself has. They are both wrapped together again in each others’ arms, just shy of crying like the pair of idiots they truly are. Junhoe’s radiant new apartment key finally out of his pocket and clasped to Hanbin's set of keys, ready to open up a new ocean for them to travel together. Because well, it _has_ been three years already, it was time for them to drop the anchors somewhere, right?

 

And yeah, he’s now just _My big dork_ ❤ on Hanbin’s phone, just like _My little dork_ ❤ is now his own most frequent contact. But marshmallows and jellyfish will always ring home to their shores too.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it! Let me know if you did ❤
> 
> @JustPeachy131 if you want to come talk to me?


End file.
